Pet food recalled after kitten death

Blue Ridge Beef, a Georgia-based pet food company, has recalled a portion of its “Kitten Grind” raw pet food after the FDA detected the bacteria salmonella and listeria in it. (Source: Food and Drug Administration)

Consumers can identify the contaminated Blue Ridge Beef “Kitten Grind” raw pet food by the label “lot# GA1102” stamped on the metal clips on the packages, and by the manufacturing date of Nov. 02, 2017. (Source: Food and Drug Administration)

(RNN) – A Georgia-based pet food company has recalled one of its products after salmonella in it possibly killed a kitten.

Blue Ridge Beef of Eatonton, GA, recalled its “Kitten Grind” raw pet food after customers filed complaints with the Food and Drug Administration about two kitten deaths. The FDA confirmed one of those kittens died from salmonella septicemia, blood poisoning caused by the bacterium salmonella.

The FDA tested one batch of the product – lot number GA1102 – and found the bacteria salmonella and listeria.

The contaminated lot contains 20 cases, or 300 “chubs,” the tubes the product comes in. The recall affects the following states:

Texas

Georgia

South Carolina

Tennessee

North Carolina

Customers can identify the contaminated chubs by the label “lot# GA1102” stamped on the metal clips on the packages, and by the manufacturing date of Nov. 02, 2017.

Salmonella and listeria can cause potentially fatal infections in both animals consuming the pet food and the humans handling the food, according to the FDA.

Pets can also be carriers of the bacteria and infect humans, even if the pets don’t appear ill; the bacteria also can be spread through a pet’s bowel movements.

Customers who bought the contaminated food are urged to stop feeding it to their pets. They’re also urged to return the product to where they bought it for a full refund, or to dispose of it immediately.